salaam alaikum, dear brothers and sisters. Dua or supplication
is an important part of our faith.
Allah Subhan Allah has granted us the gift of invoking him
in times of need. Allah Almighty says in the Holy Quran;
When my servants ask you concerning me, (tell them) I am indeed
close (to them).
I listened to the prayer of every suppliant when he calls on me.(Quran 2:186).
So with this verse, we can say that Allah Almighty listen
to us when we make Dua we should always seek help from Allah.
But sometimes we keep on praying for something and we seem
to get no response.
We become disheartened and stop supplicating.
And often-times we start thinking, allah is all seeing, all-hearing,
So why doesn't he listen to me?
Can't he see the pain
I am in? Satan keeps pouring such thought into our brains and we
become distant from Allah Almighty while dua should be a
source of keeping the supplicant closer to Allah.
So, why does this happen? when we make Dua, sometimes they are
accepted and other times they are not or getting no response
immediately, Etc.
let's Listen to Sheikh Omar Suleiman and Mufti Menk in this regard. JazakAllah khair.
When is the help of Allah subhanaw
Taala going to come and particularly in the context of the
Ayah; Do you think that you will enter into Jannah and then
Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala to takes us through the various
difficulties and to the point where the messenger and the
Believers that are with him say when is the help of Allah
and verily the help of Allah is near and I wanted to speak
about this from a personal perspective in a sense that how
do we deal with the question of when meaning when I make
duaa when is it going to be answered?
You know with our individual struggles and not necessarily
the community struggle since that ayah in the context of
Khandaq (Battle of the Trench) and obviously these things are all tied together
And subhanAllah, they even touch on different elements of Faith,
they touch on different aspects of our Creed. if a person
is in a situation where they're seeing a wicked person who
seems to have everything in this world and then a person
who is righteous and they are being oppressed or they don't
have anything in this world then that can start to To ruin
their Notions of how they understand Allah (swt)'s love
and how they understand the way that Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala
proportions his Mercy in this world in relation to the next
and so when it comes to dua/ when it comes to supplication
and a person that makes dua you know, I want to actually start
with what Omar bin al-khattab
Radiyaallahu ta'ala anhu said he said I do not concern myself
with the burden of the answer to my dua.
But he says I just concern myself with the ability to make
duaa. So I don't concern myself with the answer to the Dua.
I just concern myself with the ability to make the dua
with the ability to make that supplication in the first place.
Why? because as ibn atta (rah) said know
that anytime that Allah (swt) allows your tongue to
move in asking him something that that means he wants to
give you something and so there is no situation in which
Allah will give you tawfique/ ability or give you success to be
able to Make this dua, accept that Allah (swt) wants
to answer that dua for you.
So don't you know, concern yourself with the way that it's
going to be answered, just concern yourself with the ability
to make that dua at in the first place
And that is a blessing from Allah subhanaw
Taala that you are driven to the ability to call upon him.
Now with that being said you make your dua and as you supplicate,
your supplication goes to Allah (swt) and
the most knowing, the most acquainted and al hakim
the most wise, ar-rahman/ the most merciful, it goes to Allah
subhanahu wa'ta'ala and you have trusted that supplication
now to Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala. for Allah to answer you
in a way that is best for you and the prophet salallahu alaihe
wasalam said that Allah subhanaw taala would either answer
that dua as you asked him for it or Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala
will block and evil and equivalent evil/ a Calamity as a result
of that your dua or Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala Will delay
the answer to that dua to the Hereafter to the day of judgment
And of course on that day when you are rewarded it is unlike
the reward of this world and a person .... would wish
that none of his /her dua had the answered in this world when
they see the answer in the Hereafter because that which was
answered in this world perished along with this world,
Where as that which Allah subhanaka answers in regards to
the Hereafter or in the Hereafter remains for all of eternity.
So you Make that dua and you entrust that dua to Allah subhanaw Taala
The one that you're calling upon to answer it in a way that's
best for you.
Now the prophet salallahu alaihe wasalam said Allah subhanaw
Taala will answer every one of you so long as you don't become
Hasty. How do you become Hasty? that a person would say I
called upon Allah subhanaw taala, and he did not answer me.
so long as a person does not say I called upon Allah and
he did not answer me;
Another narration the prophet (saw) said that a
person would call upon Allah (swt) for something
sinful or would the severance of Family Ties,
So the nature of what you're asking Allah, for forbidden
but in this regard, you've asked Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala
you have taken all of the precautions and fulfilled all of
the prerequisites to approaching Allah with that dua, do
not say by I called upon a lot and he didn't answer me.
He did not answer my Dua, when you do that
No matter how the Dua has transferred: its left your heart,
It's left your tongue.
It has gone to Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala and the prophet (saw)
said your lord is too
Shy for you to raise your hands and for Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala
to allow those hands to come back down completely empty and
unfulfilled. Allah is too shy, allah is too shy SubhanAllah,
he's too shy for you to make Dua and to come back empty-handed.
So you made that dua and you sent to Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala
and then you say I called upon Allah,
He did not answer me. at that point
No matter how the dua is operating
It becomes completely irrelevant and it becomes completely
ineffective. It ruins the dua, it spoils the dua because
you lose the essential component of trust in Allah subhanahu
wa'ta'ala as you're making that dua. so the prophet (saw)
said do not be Hasty and say I called upon Allah and
he didn't answer me and another thing that's really important
about this is subhanAllah, to not Let the shaitaan tell you
that the delay in the answer to your dua is some indication
of Allah subhanaw Taala not loving you, you know, think about this who is
more beloved to Allah than the prophet Muhammad salallahu
alaihe wasalam? who does Allah love more than the prophets: then
ibraheem alehissalaam, then yusuf (a.s) then yaqub (a.s) , right?
We're talking about Abraham and Jacob and Joseph and
ayub / job (a.s) who does Allah more than these people,
then the prophet (Saw), yet
How Many times do we see that they called upon Allah subhanahu
wa'ta'ala and the answer to their dua did not come for
decades, did not come for decades.
Is that because Allah did not love them?
Of course not, you know, we would never say that because we
know that this is the most beloved of Allah's creation to
him, right? of course not but it's something else. it's something
else and so it might be that you see two people that make dua
And this person is answered right away
And the other person is delayed and Allah loves the one who
was delayed more. Allah loves the one who was delayed more.
Why? because it may be that SubhanAllah, as you are turning
to Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala In dua that Allah is increasing
you and he certainly is when you turn towards him, Allah is
increasing you in his favor, in his love. Allah is increasing
you in your good deeds. Allah is elevating your status in
The Hereafter because ... dua is worship
And so all that you are gaining aside from what you are specifically
asking for, in the process of that Dua is certainly increasing
you and allah's love, is certainly increasing you Allah's love
and what more could you want them that right?
What is greater than that, as you're going to Allah subhanahu
wa'ta'ala and Allah (swt) is increasing you in his love
as well as responding to you in a way that
is most befitting to you and subhanAllah that is a precious
Jewel that you know that we take, every time we turn back
to Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala in dua, aside from whatever it
is that we're asking from him.... the Brokenness
that we show to Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala, the humility that
we show to Allah (Swt), the waking up at night to
pray for what we're praying for, right? in the last third of
the night or whenever it is.
All of that is bringing us closer to Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala
and closeness to Allah is greater than whatever it is that
we're asking him for.
So the prophet (saw) said do not be amongst
those people that send a Dua to Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala
who is too shy to reject it.
But then they render that Dua ineffective themselves by
closing the possibility by saying that that Dua is not going
to be answered by Allah (Swt), that dua has not been
answered by Allah (swt), once
You make Dua to Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala leave the answer
to him subhanahu wa'ta'ala and again imagine on the day of
judgment; Those dua that Allah delayed for you to answer
you there and to give you a bounty that was too great for
this world and to give you in a place that is Everlasting
rather than a place that is temporary.
He says subhanallah,
This was greater than whatever it is that I could have wanted
in this Dunya and the love of Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala is
certainty and elevation whether it is in this life or the next.
So again, the prophet salallahu alihi wasalam said I called
upon Allah and he did not answer me; whether it was Musa alehsalaam
making Dua against the Firaun or the prophet (saw)
against his enemies or the prophets (saw)
for the guidance of certain people and uhud or the
prophet salallahu alaihe wasalam asking Allah for relief
or ayub (a.s) calling upon Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala
or yaqub (a.s) calling upon Allah waiting
for his son or yusuf (a.s) calling upon Allah subhanaw Taala
waiting for relief from prison or whatever situation
he was in. all of these situations teach us that Allah subhanahu
wa'ta'ala will answer the dua of the one that he loves
but on a time and in a way that is most befitting to that
love and Allah subhanaw Taala al wudud, knows what's best for us.
So we ask Allah (Swt) to make us amongst those that
are beloved to him
And we ask Allah subhana to make us amongst those that are
always turned back to him In duas, in a state of Brokenness
and humility and in a way in which we are always elevated
in this life
And in the next may Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala to gather us
with the prophet salallahu alihi wasalam in jannatul firdous
Allahumma ameen.
As-salamu alaykum. every Dua /supplication or prayer
you make is heard by Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala no doubt.
He knows us better than we know ourselves. if we're asking
for something that he knows is very detrimental for us in the future.
You desperately want to marry someone and Allah knows that
something really bad is going to happen afterwards.
He may save you from it by answering your prayer by not giving
you what you want simply because he loves you more than you
love yourself, Subhanallah.
That is something amazing. the moment you understand this
you will understand the almighty says to us
I've always heard your dua/ your supplication.
I always answer it. I either give you what you want immediately,
And that's obviously the best thing that's what we all want.
But Allah says sometimes out of my Mercy I give you what
you want but after some time. so he delays it to a better
time. You may be desperately wanting something and Allah
knows that it's good for you after two years, after five years,
after 10 years.
So he will give you exactly the same thing later on.
Sometimes he will give it to you
but in the Hereafter subhanALlah, he knows that
that is the best for you.
Sometimes the reward of the sabr and the patience, you're
going to go through is tremendous such that just the patience
is enough to have booked you and reserved you a place in
Paradise. then sometimes what Allah does, when he knows that
there is something for you better than what you're asking.
He then gives you the thing which is better even though in
my small mind than yours,
We may not uderstand how that was better for us.
But remember it's better in the worldly life as well
as in the Hereafter...
So sometimes because we don't realize that what he has ultimately
given us is better than what we desperately wanted.
We don't see we think he didn't answer.
He didn't hear, he doesn't love us, he doesn't care for us.
But Allah says I know better than you. Allah knows and you
don't know. sometimes like I say, If the almighty knows you
want to marry someone desperately this is an example.
I'm going to use for some reason it's blocked. every Avenue
You try you just cannot get this happening
And so maybe Allah knows something in the future was going to happen.
Maybe the person was going to pass away.
Maybe the children that were going to come as a result of
that type of a relationship might have been Troublesome or
they may have been challenged in one way or another or you
may not have had those kids, Allah knows best.
I don't know, you don't know.
so Trust Allah, he knows at times he replaces what you want with
something else in jannatull firdous.
So these are some of the ways that he responds to your Dua
your prayer, but he definitely answers your prayer.
What's your job? your duty is to keep asking keep nagging,
keep repeating repeat every day.
He loves it
When you repeat o Allah grant me, o Allah you are most merciful.
You know how to ask him.
Let me explain people say my dua is not answered.
Number one: praise Allah, number two: Seek the Forgiveness of
Allah, number three send blessings and salutations upon Muhammad Peace
Be upon him his family, his household his companions, number
four: ask what you want in the most beautiful ways and asking
any language you want, keep repeating it and express how desperately
you want it if you really shed a tear or two it would help
because SubhanAllah, Allah is Very very merciful, you know
when you shed a tear, subhanallah?
It actually is another level of Supplication.
Then as you're ending your prayer, make sure you end it again
with the blessings and salutations upon Muhammad
Sallallahu wasallam and perhaps some Praise of Allah subhanahu
wa'ta'ala, that's how you ask Allah, and if you were to proceed
your supplication with a good deed the chances of it being
accepted are far more. if you were to proceed it with a charity
or fasting or salah or something good: recitation of the Quran
it would really be good.
Then there are certain times that are better than other times
get up at night when everyone is asleep and cry at the time
of the tahajjud, at the time the last third of the night,
cry at that time, ask Allah because Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala
tells us that at that moment.
He descends to the lowest Heavens asking who is asking me
that I can give them, who is repenting that I can accept their
repentance, who is seeking forgiveness
So that I can forgive them.
Then another very interesting thing that you need to do, my
brothers and sisters.
You need to be on the right page with Allah. if you're involved
in a sin try and cut it out. cut out that sin for the sake
of Allah, seek forgiveness from it.
If you are doing something wrong improve your relationship
with Allah and Allah will grant it to you.
I know of many people who two years later they say subhanallah,
My prayers were answered in the best possible way. you're
looking for a job, never give up prayers.
May Allah grant us our wishes.
May Allah grant us the best of this world and the next, may
Allah Safeguard us from that which we are asking for which
we don't know is actually detrimental for us out of his Mercy.
May he keep it away from us and then may he make us happy with it
And there is a supplication known as dua al-istikhara.
wherein if you were to read the meaning of it you say o
Allah if what I'm asking, you know is good for me,
My Religion, my present, my future, my Hereafter then let it
happen for me, make it easy for me and Grant me blessings in it
And if you know, it is bad for me, my present, my current life,
my future, my Hereafter, my Deen, my religion and so on my
relationship with you, if you know, it's bad for me then
keep it away from me.
Keep me away from it and then make me happy with your decree.
Oh, that's an amazing
supplication. I pray that we can learn from it.
So don't give up, never lose
Hope understand the almighty loves you much more than you
love yourself and he knows for a fact what's better for you.
If you have a good relation with Allah, he will always give
you what's the best. be happy with what you have.
Sometimes what you want is the worst thing you could have,
Allah saves you from it through his Mercy. don't complain
and don't blame him and don't be upset with him.
Never. o Allah!
Grant us the ability to be pleased with your decree and decree
for us that which is the biggest blessing for us
make it easy for us, grant us our wish when you know, it's
best for us.